Duke (Thomas
Duke, named after the Duke of Sodor and originally called The Duke, is a narrow gauge tank-tender engine, who is considered a hero amongst all the engines. He is also one of the oldest engines on Sodor. Bio in the Railway Series Duke was built at Boston Lodge in Minffordd, Wales to the order of John Arnold Norramby, Earl of Sodor and Chairman of the MSR, in 1879 for the opening of the Mid Sodor Railway in 1880. The Board of Directors named him in honour of the Earl and rostered him to haul the Opening Train. He worked with several other engines on the Mid Sodor, including Falcon and Stuart (later named Sir Handel and Peter Sam, respectively). Soundly built, Duke was well maintained and kept in service until 1947 when the railway closed. While Stuart and Falcon were sold, no buyers were interested in him, so he was left oiled, greased and sheeted up inArlesdale Sheds, where he was all but forgotten. He believed that the Earl would come to rescue him, but as time went on, he did not show, and Duke began to have doubts which grew stronger and stronger. He was unaware the Earl he knew had been killed during the Second World War, and that his successor was just a boy, who did not know of Duke. He was later discovered by Mr. Fergus Duncan, the Reverend Teddy Boston and the Reverend W. Awdry in 1969 and taken by road and rail to Crovan's Gate. There Duke was restored and rebuilt, through the kindness and generosity of Sir Topham Hatt and the present Earl of Sodor, who shared the cost with Sir Handel Lloyd Brown. He was finally re-united with Sir Handel and Peter Sam and for the first time in its history the Skarloey Railway had motive power to spare. Over a period of weeks in 1982, Duke received another overhaul, which when completed allowed Sir Handel to be lent to the Talyllyn Railway while Sir Haydn was out of service. He attended Ivo Hugh's naming ceremony in 1996. Bio in the Television Series Duke lived on the Mid Sodor Railway with several engines including Stuart, Falcon, and briefly Smudger, until the line went bankrupt and Stuart and Falcon were sold. Duke, however, was sheeted until a group of adventurers found his shed, buried under soil that had washed down from the mountains. Skarloey and Rheneas took him back to the Skarloey Railway, where he was soon returned to service. Trivia * Duke guest star in Thomas and Twilight Sparkle's Adventure Series with the other narrow gauge engines. * Duke along with Smudger are also best friends with Button Mash. * Duke sometimes forget that Skarloey and Rheneas are older than him due to he's set in his ways a lot. Gallery Category:Thomas and Twilight Sparkle's Adventures allies Category:Senior/Elders Category:Narrow gauge engines Category:Skarloey Engines Category:Mid Sodor Railway Engines Category:Tender Engines Category:Trains Category:Steam Locomotives Category:Supporters of the Cutie Mark Crusaders Category:Thomas & Friends Characters (RWS) Category:Thomas & Friends Characters Category:Characters who have a tragic past Category:Singing characters Category:Non-Disney heroes Category:Males Category:Allies Category:Citizens of Equesodor